Obtaining Republic of Armenia citizenship may become more difficult and significantly more expensive.

Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has submitted a legislative package for public discussion, which proposes to establish a requirement for legal residence and actual presence in Armenia for obtaining citizenship, tighten the verification of the fact of being Armenian by nationality, and increase the state fee from AMD 50,000 to 250,000. It is also proposed to establish AMD 1.5 million for renouncing citizenship instead of the current 150,000.

The ministry justifies the need for changes by “substantive reinterpretation” of the institution of citizenship. According to the justification, in recent years the number of people who do not have sufficient factual ties with Armenia, have never been or have not lived in Armenia for a long time, but receive Armenian citizenship, including to take advantage of travel or other practical advantages, has increased.

From January 1, 2021 to August 31, 2026, 110,219 people received Armenian citizenship. 108,002 of them received a passport with the code “099”. The ministry also notes in its justification that, according to the data of the last fifteen years, about 250,000 people have received Armenian citizenship, most of whom, according to the department, have never established permanent residence in Armenia.

The logic of the new draft is that citizenship should not be reduced to simply the possibility of obtaining an Armenian passport. The state wants to link the process of obtaining citizenship with the presence of a real connection with Armenia.

As a result, the draft would require all foreign citizens seeking Armenian citizenship, including ethnic Armenians, to have legal residence in Armenia and spend a specified period in the country. A connection based only on documents would no longer be enough; applicants would also need to be physically present in Armenia.

The draft also provides a simpler procedure for ethnic Armenians, which its authors tie to the constitutional provision granting them a special path to citizenship. Even so, applicants would still need to show a real connection to Armenia.

Another key change concerns verification of “Armenian nationality.” Applicants currently submit documents specified by law, but the ministry says individual documents alone may not reliably prove Armenian origin.

The justification also cites falsified or altered documents. According to the ministry, some applicants seeking the simplified procedure for ethnic Armenians changed or listed a parent’s, grandparents, or other relative’s nationality as “Armenian” in official records.

The draft provides for the creation of a special commission, which must determine whether the submitted data is sufficient to confirm the fact that a person is Armenian by nationality. The government will define the procedure and powers of the commission.

The draft also changes how the citizenship process is completed. Currently, after a presidential decree, applicants must attend an oath ceremony, but the law does not specify when the decree takes effect. Under the draft, it would take effect once the applicant signs the oath, with a one-year deadline to do so.

If the applicant does not appear and sign the oath within one year, the decree will not take effect. The oath ceremony would also have to be held only in Armenia.

The justification says some applicants have failed to appear for years after a decree, leaving unclear whether they still intend to complete citizenship or, in some cases, are even alive. The one-year deadline is meant to remove that uncertainty.

A major change would affect those who have renounced citizenship.

Current law sets no waiting period before former citizens can regain Armenian citizenship; the draft would restrict this.

It would bar restoring citizenship for five years after the decree ending citizenship takes effect.